Patient lifter and bedpan holder



July 26, 1955 c. v. JOHNSON PATIENT LIFTER AND BEDPAN HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1953 ATTORNEY y 1955 c. v. JOHNSON 2,713,638

PATIENT LIFTER AND BEDPAN HOLDER Filed Jan. 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 33 Z L L I. /8 7 -m||||||m f 2 7 e i2 i0 CLAEENCEVTLHMSON) ATTORNEY INVENTOR United States Patent PATIENT LIFTER AND BEDPAN HOLDER Clarence Verne Johnson, Yates Center, Kans. Application January 21, 1953, Serial No. 332,389

4 Claims. (Cl. 4112) This is especially true when the patient can offer little or no assistance and when the patients condition is such that much pain and discomfort is caused by the attempts of the nurse to lift the patients body to the extent necessary for the proper positioning of the pan.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be easily placed under the patient by a sidewise sliding movement whether the person is in bed or sitting in a modern wheel chair.

Another object is to provide a simple, compact and light-weight device of this character which may be positioned under the buttocks from one side of the patient by both pulling and pushing movements so that its use will be easier on both the patient and the nurse or attendant.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved device in its collapsed or folded position ready for insertion under a patient from his side, the removable operating handle being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device in raised or elevated position with a bedpan inserted therein;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View on a reduced scale with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2 and with parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the device in its open position shown in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the removable handle.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 10 denotes a base member adapted to rest upon the top of a bed or of a seat of a modern wheel chair, represented by the line B. Above it is an upper member 11 adapted to elevate the buttocks so that the now commonly used type of bedpan P may be easily placed in usable position between the two members. These members are preferably made of wood, plastic or other lightweight material. As shown the bottom member it on which the pan is supported comprises a flat and square or rectangular sheet of thin plywood, plastic or fiber board 12 along the side edges of which are fastened parallel side bars 13, the

All

2,713,683 Patented July 26, 1955 front ends of which may be connected by a front bar 14 also secured to the top of the sheet 12. The side bars 13 are of rectangular shape in cross-section and their rear ends terminate short of the rear edge of the base plate or sheet 12 to provide a flat rear extension. The rear ends of the bars 13 are higher than their front ends so that their top faces 15 incline downwardly and forwardly. The upper or elevating member 11 is similarly constructed and comprises a rectangular top sheet 17, longitudinally tapered side bars 18 and a front connecting bar 19, these being similar to the bars 13, 14 but are fixed to the bottom of the flat top sheet 17 so that the inclined bottom faces 20 of the bars 18 overlie the in clined top faces 15 and are adapted to rest upon the lat-' ter, as shown in Fig. 2, when the device is collapsed. The top plate or sheet 17 is formed with an opening 21 adapted to overlie the opening in the flat top'of the bedpan when the latter is inserted between the two members, as seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Across the rear end of the top 17 is fastened a reenforcing strip or bar 22 to the center of which is secured a hand-grip 23. Another hand-grip 24 is secured at the center of the front bar 19 of the upper member 11. These hand-grips may be of any suitable form that will facilitate the insertion of the device under the buttocks of the patient in a side-wise direction by pushing or pulling movements. It will be seen on reference to Fig. 1 that when the device is folded or collapsed the front end is of less height than the rear end since the bottom and top sheets 12, 17 are disposed in forwardly converging relation. That facilitates the insertion of the device under the buttocks from one side of the patient, the nurse pushing on the device by means of the handle 23 by one hand and she may reach over the patients body and pull on the device by means of the handle 24; or the two handles may be manipulated by two nurses or attendants, one being on each side of the bed or chair.

When the device has been disposed under the buttocks, the upper member is elevated to move the top sheet 17 to the substantially horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 so that the bottom and top sheets or plates 12, 17 are substantially parallel. The lifting of the upper member is caused by two sets of links 26 adjacent the front end of the device and two sets of links 27 forming arms of bell-crank levers 28 which are connected for simultaneous operation by a removable U-shape handle .29, the two arms 34 of the latter forming extensions of the bellcranks. The links 26 and 27 are in the nature of parallel links but the links 26 are longer than the links 27 and their upper pivote are spaced apart further than their lower pivots so that the front end of the upper member 1 will be raised to a greater extent than its rear end in order to position the top 17 in a substantially horizontal position when the device is in its open position for the reception of the bedpan. It will be seen that the linkage between the two members permits the bars 18 to contact with'the bars 13 when the upper member is lowered and hence the device when folded presents a strong and rigid structure which may be easily pushed or pulled under the patient. The links 26 are in pairs on opposite sides of the device with the links of each pair disposed on opposite sides of the side bars of the two members. Pivots 31, preferably in the form of rivets, connect the lower ends of the longer links 26 to the bars 13, and similar pivots 32 connect the upper ends of these links to the bars 18. The shorter links 27 are likewise disposed in pairs at opposite sides of the device, and their upper or outer ends are connected to opposite sides of the bars 18 by similar pivots 33. As above noted each link .27 forms one arm of a bellcrank lever 28, the other arm 34 of which is disposed at an angleof slightly less than 90 to the arm or link 27. The lower pivots 35 of the links 27 pivotally connect each pair of belleranks 23 on opposite sides of bars 13 adjacent their rear ends. The arms 34 of each pair of belleranks are connected to a member 36 which has a separable telescopic engagement with one of the arms 39 of the U-shaped handle 29. As shown the members 36 are in the form of rectangular sockets or sleeves into which the simularly shaped ends of the arms 36 telescope so that the U-shaped handle forms an extension of the arms 34 of the belleranks. The soeketed arms 34-36 are relatively short and project only to a slight extent above the top of the device when the latter is collapsed, as in Fig. l, but the arms 39 are made sufficiently long to give the necessary leverage for easily lifting the up-- per member 11 and the buttocks resting thereon. When the upper member is elevated, as seen in Fig. 2, the pivots 33 pass the dead center of the pivots 35 so that it tends to remain in its raised position, but it is preferably locked therein by at least one turn button 37 on the top of a block 38 fastened on the base extension slightly inward of the rear end of one of the bars 13. The locking button 37 is of the stamped metal type and turns on its pivot screw 39 so that one of its ends may be swung over the adjacent socket member 36 when the latter is forced down against the extension in operating the hand lever to elevate the member 11. If desired a similar turnbutton may be mounted at the other side of the device to coact with the other socket member. When the device is in its open position the bedpan P may be readily slid into its open rear end and as readily removed. In order to properly position the bedpan under the opening 21 in the member 11, two stop blocks 40 and 41 are cemented or otherwise fastened to the underface of the top plate 17 and the inner face of the front bar 19. As seen in Fig. 3 these blocks have curved rear edges shaped to correspond with the curved upright wall of the bedpan. To facilitate the insertion and removal of the bedpan, the latter has secured to one of its sides a hand-grip or loop 42. The arms 34- of each bellcrank extend into and are soldered, welded or otherwise fastened to the opposite walls of one of the rectangular tubes 36, and the ends of the arms 39 of the U-shaped hand lever enter between the arms 34. That provides a strong but separable connection between these parts. To strengthen the arms 30, which are preferably made of rectangular strips of wood, a metal reenforcing band or strap may be fastened across the end of each arm and extended along its opposite faces and secured thereto by brads or other means as shown in Fig. 6. The U-shaped handle is of course only inserted in the sockets 34 when the upper member 11 is to be elevated.

It is believed that the manner of using the device will be understood from the foregoing detailed description. lt will also be apparent that the device is of simple, durable and relatively inexpensive construction, that its use will be easy on both the patient and the nurse, and that the construction is such that both buttocks will be equally elevated so that the presently used bedpan may be properly positioned for use.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claim-ed.

I claim:

1. A patient lifting and bedpan holding device to be slid under the buttocks of a patient from his side, comprising a substantially rectangular lower member to support a bedpan and a substantially rectangular apertured upper member connected thereto by linkage means which causes the upper member to move from a lowered position in which it rests on the lower member and has its top inclined downwardly and forwardly, to enable the front end of the device to be slid under the buttocks of a patient from his side, to an elevated position in which its top is substantially parallel with the bottom of the lower member, to enable a bedpan to be slid into the rear of the device in a direction sidewise of the patient, said linkage means comprisin laterally opposed front links connecting the forward portions of the two members at opposite sides of the latter, laterally opposed rear links connecting the rearward portions of the two members at opposite sides of the latter, the pivots which connect the front and rear links to the upper member being spaced further apart than the pivots which connect the front and rear links to the lower member, and the length of the front links being greater than the length of the rear links, to cause the upper pivots of the rear links to pass the dead center of the lower pivots of the rear links when the upper member is elevated to retain the latter in its elevated posit on, each of said rear links forming one arm of a bellcrank, the other arm of which is short and disposed parallel with the bottom of the lower member when the upper member is elevated, a substantially U- shaped operating handle having two parallel arms projecting from a hand bar which extends transversely of the rear of the device and is disposed to one side of a patient using the device, a detachable connection between the arms of said handle and the short arms of said belleranks, and means for locking the upper member in its elevated position, said means including an element carried by the lower member and movable over the short arm of one of said belleranks when the last mentioned short arm is disposed substantially parallel with the bottom of the lower member.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said upper and lower member include parallel and superimposed side bars to which the respective front and rear links are pivoted, the opposed faces of the side bars at each side of the device being inclined for engagement with each other when the upper member is in its lowered position, there being handles at the front and rear ends of the upper member to aid in sliding the device under the buttocks from one side of the patient.

3. The structure of claim I in which said upper and lower members include parallel and superimposed side bars to which the respective front and rear links are pivoted, in which said rear links on each side of the device are composed of pairs with the links of each pair disposed on the opposite side faces of the superimposed side bars on one side of the device, the short arms of the belleranks of each pair projecting beyond the end of the associated side bar, and in which said detachable connection comprises a pair of sleeves into which the arms of each handle are telescopically engaged, each of said sleeves being carried by a pair of said short arms of the belleranks on one side of the device.

4. A patient lifter and bedpan holder, to be placed under the buttocks of a patient from his side. having a lower, generally rectangular, bedpan supporting member, an upper, apertured, generally rectangular buttocks supporting member above the lower member and movable from a lowered position in which the top of the upper member is disposed in downwardly and forwardly converging relation to the bottom of the lower member, to an elevated position in which the top of the upper memher is disposed in substantially parallel relation to the bottom of the lower member, said lower member having a bottom plate with downwardly and forwardly tapered side bars on its top, said upper member having a top plate with similarly tapered side bars on its bottom, laterally opposed pairs of front links connecting the forward portions of the two members, the links of each pair being disposed on opposite faces of said bars on the same side of the members and connected thereto by pivots, laterallyopposed pairs of rear links connecting the rearward portions of the members, the links of each rear pair being disposed on opposite faces of said bars on the same side of the members and connected thereto by pivots, said front links being of greater length tian said rear links 5 and the pivots of the links on the bars of the upper memher being disposed a greater distance apart than the link pivots on the bars of the lower member to cause the upper member to be moved from a downwardly and rearwardly inclined position in which the opposed bars of the two members are in contact to an elevated position in which the top plate of the upper member is substantially parallel with the bottom plate of the lower member as the upper member is moved upwardly, each link of each rear pair of links forming one arm of a bellcrank, the other arm of which extends rearwardly beyond the side bar to which such link is pivoted, a sleeve on each side of the lifter,

6 each sleeve connecting a pair of the said other arms of the bellcranks, a substantially U-shaped handle having spaced arms removably engaged with the two sleeves for simultaneously actuating the bellcranks to move the upper member to its elevated position, and means for locking the upper member in its elevated position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

